Two important things happened this weekend. First, there was the insignificant and small matter of potential nuclear war in the Middle East, about which people seem to care too much. But this meant a significant shortfall in press coverage of a much more important event. This weekend, I attended the grand national sandcastle competition in Bettystown, which drew some of the most talented sandcastle builders in Ireland, and also me. It was a lovely sunny day but as always on the beach, it was blowing an absolute gale.
All the families looked like they were having a lovely time whereas I had to seek shelter beside the Portaloo. As the day went on my sun trapped garden started to become more and more attractive. My 10 year old Emma enjoyed herself and John the 3 year old enjoyed knocking down the sandcastles that I had reluctantly made, in an attempt to at least demonstrate some artistic talent in the Perrins household.
The competition is an annual thing. The organisers say:
The birth of The National Sandcastle & Sculpture Competition can be credited to the visionary spirit of Dick O’Reilly Bettystown, a proud local resident in 2003. Fueled by his dream to showcase the coastal allure of County Meath as a remarkable natural gem, Dick embarked on a journey that turned his dream into a vibrant tradition. Today, the Annual Sandcastle and Sand Sculpture Competition is not just an event; it’s a jubilant celebration of creativity and teamwork, bringing people of all ages together for a fantastic day at the beach. Run by a dedicated group of local volunteers with the support of local businesses.
If you visit their website, you can feast your eyes on some entries and winners from years past. They really are magnificent. This sleeping horse, for example:
Anyway, here are some of the photographs I took on Saturday, on my trusty and ancient iPhone.
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This cat wasn’t a winner, but I think it is great.
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An octopus.
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I like this turtle
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This is my daughter Emma and her creation. But I couldn’t tell you what it is. Still, not bad for a ten year old. She would get expenses for that moat if she was a British MP.
In any case: The National Sandcastle Competition. It is an annual thing, and an absolutely fantastic day out if you have small children. We didn’t win, so there will be full-bore training now in the Perrins house on this sandcastle-building fandango to make sure that this failure is not repeated next year. It’s not the taking part that counts. It’s the winning.
Especially when the standard is this high.
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